


Christmas at the Embassy

by SequinSmile



Series: Our Little Universe [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SequinSmile/pseuds/SequinSmile
Summary: Emily and Hotch attend her mother's annual Christmas party. Emily is suspicious of her mother's motivation. Elizabeth is....Elizabeth. And Hotch is just trying to keep the peace.Established Prentiss/Hotch. AU after Season 7.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Emily Prentiss
Series: Our Little Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087001
Comments: 30
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

“Do we have to go?” 

Hotch turned at the sound of her voice, which, he noted, sounded significantly whinier than it usually did. He looked back at himself in the mirror he was stood in front of and finished adjusting his tie before turning back to her and walking towards where she was sat on the bed.

“Do we have to go to the Christmas Party your mother is hosting that we RSVPed to several months ago? I’d say so.” He deadpanned, smiling at her and exposing his dimples as she groaned and rolled her eyes at him.

“It’s a bit annoying how polite you are, you know?” Emily replied as she smiled back at him. “I just really don’t want to deal with it all tonight.” 

“Deal with what?” He asked as he sat down next to her on the bed. She shifted towards him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Whatever my mother has planned this evening. She was so insistent on us coming, and that usually means she’s up to something. We both know she doesn’t really agree with my life choices.” 

“And by life choices you mean me?” He said as he grabbed her hand that she had lifted to play with his tie. Emily had picked it out the day before and had gone to quite some lengths to make sure it was the exact same shade of emerald green as her dress. He looked at her nails as her hand was in his and noticed she’d been biting them again.

“Well, you among other things.” She quipped as she lowered their hands to her rounded stomach. She was 6 months pregnant and still not over the fact it was happening. It was the second time she’d been pregnant since her and Hotch had been together, the first pregnancy gone before she could get her head around it being a reality. Up until that point she hadn’t even known it was possible for her to get pregnant, not after Doyle, and that combined with her age had meant she had shelved the idea of having a biological child long before the stick turned pink. 

“She just doesn’t understand why I would chose anything over my career, you or Jack. Any of it.” 

He’d asked her to stay. So she did. She stayed and they worked out whatever had been hanging over them for years. She loved him and his son. Their son as Jack was now legally hers. The adoption had officially gone through a month ago. Love had been enough to make her stay and keep her in a place she had once believed she could never feel happy again. But she was happy now with Hotch, and Jack and the baby that was growing inside of her. Sometimes Emily couldn’t quite believe it was all real. London would have been great. Staying in DC had been beyond her wildest dreams. 

That had been two years ago now, and here they were in the home they had chosen together, raising their son and living a good life. Emily just wished her mother could see it that way. 

“Well, I’ll just be grateful it’s not her decision then.” He replied as he pressed a kiss into the top of her head. “At least we managed to get Jack out of tonight.” He joked, and he was pleased it drew a sharp laugh out of her.

“We should make sure to send Jessica an extra nice gift this year for taking him tonight. He looked so bored last year.” 

Emily’s relationship with Hotch’s former sister in law had been a bit tenuous at best when they first got together, with Jessica not overly sure of the new woman in her nephews life, but they were what Emily would now call friends. Jessica had been good to her in the wake of her miscarriage last year, and the two women had come to an understanding, with Jessica even coming to the adoption hearing last month. The rest of Haley’s family was another story entirely.  


“We really should get going, Em.” He murmured into the top of her head. When she groaned in response he smiled and pulled away. “How about on the way home we get some of that ice cream you’ve been craving so much?”

“You don’t have to bribe me like a child.” She laughed as she got up from the bed, walking towards the mirror to do a final inspection of her appearance. Her long dark hair laid straight over her shoulders. Her dress had capped sleeves and came to just above her knees, and it was figure hugging. Originally she had debated on wearing something that covered her pregnancy a little, but after trying several different options with JJ over the last few weeks she knew it was a lost cause. This would be the first time she had seen her mother since finding out she was pregnant, so she figured she might as well go all out. 

“Did it work though?” Hotch asked as he made his way behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

“Maybe,’ She leaned back into him slightly turning her head to rest her forehead against him. “I wonder if she will introduce you to people as my husband this time, or by your job title.”

“I doubt it,” He chuckled dryly, “We’ve only been married for a year after all.”  
_____________________________________________________

She gripped his hand tightly as they waited to be let into the embassy. Hotch took in the grandness of the home, and as he always did when he came here considered it strange that the woman currently squeezing the life out of his left hand had grown up here. Although she would argue that she didn’t grow up in this house. It was just their base whenever they came back from wherever they had been in the world. 

“Please don’t leave me alone at any point, Aaron.” Emily practically begged of him, “I hate these things and I can’t even drink tonight.” 

“You’re not expecting me to not drink are you?” He joked, knowing full well that if she asked him to he would be sober as a judge all evening.

“Oh God no, I haven’t been to one of these events sober since I was about 16.” 

Before Hotch could truly consider what _that _meant the door opened and they were welcomed into the house.  
______________________________________________________


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) 
> 
> Thank you for the Kudos and comments on the last chapter - it means so much!
> 
> Here's the next chapter....

Emily considered the large painting of her family in front of her. She remembered sitting to get it painted, and how at the time it felt like the most time she had ever spent with her parents at once. She was 14 at the time, not long before her life took a turn that forever changed her, and she had been so dreadfully bored. Her Mother had insisted that they needed a painting of them to hang in the embassy, which Emily at the time considered strange given that they barely spent time there, but the older she got the more she realised that the family image her mother wanted to portray was almost entirely for show. Which made the placement of said painting all the more curious.

“You look cute in that,” Hotch quipped as he walked towards her with a drink for each of them, a glass of red wine for him and a tonic water for her. “I’m sure your Mother is thankful she got it done before your punk phase.” 

“She’s had this moved.” Emily replied, ignoring his comment and the smirk on his face. She’d never forgive Garcia for slipping those photos of her high school days into a folder on Hotch’s desk once. “This painting used to be in the formal dining room.” 

Before Emily could consider the motivations of her Mother moving the painting to the part of the house that the party was happening in, the woman herself approached them.

“Emily! Agent Hotchner. It’s lovely to see you both.” She said as she pulled Emily into a quick hug, before shaking Hotch’s hand. Emily closed her eyes for a second to stop herself from rolling them. 

“You can call him Aaron mother, we are married after all.” She responded as she stepped closer into Hotch’s side, the pair of them now stood opposite the Ambassador. 

“You look well, Emily,” Elizabeth replied, ignoring her daughters comment. “How far along are you now?”

“Six months,” Emily smiled, her hand drifting to her bump. “I’m pretty exhausted if I’m honest.” 

“Well pregnancy can be especially difficult on a woman of your age.” Elizabeth said curtly. Before Emily could respond, or Hotch could cut in, Elizabeth looked over Emily’s shoulder and waved over a couple walking towards them. “Oh Mary and John, come over. I’m sure you remember my daughter Emily, and Agent Hotchner from- ”

“This is my husband, Aaron.” Emily interrupted her Mother, giving her a pointed look that neither the Ambassador or Hotch missed, before she turned back to the couple she was being reintroduced to. She remembered them from when she was a teenager, they were incredibly wealthy and politically influential, but she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why her Mother would invite them to the Christmas party.

“Nice to meet you.” Hotch said, ever the polite southern gentleman, as he shook both of their hands. Emily hated politics with a burning passion, but she loved that he was so good at it. This aspect of her life was hard work and she adored that it was something he just took in his stride. 

“Oh, we didn’t realise you’d gotten married, Emily. You kept that one quiet Elizabeth.” Mary said kindly. 

“Well it was a very small ceremony.” Elizabeth answered, “I was abroad at the time so sadly couldn’t make it myself.” The small noises of sympathy out of the couple in front of Emily made her tense, and she knew Hotch had sensed it when his hand had pressed slightly firmer into her back.

Her own parents hadn’t come to her wedding, and she had her suspicions that it was less to do with where they were in the world at the time but more to do with where Emily had got married. If there is one thing Ambassador Prentiss certainly did not approve of, and was quite clear about in her daughters new life, it was that she got married at the court house. 

Once Hotch had proposed Emily realised she really just wanted to be his wife. Any childhood girlish dreams of having the fairytale wedding had faded away long ago. The wedding had almost just become something that she wanted out of the way, and she convinced Hotch that she wanted to get married as soon as possible. It had taken some doing, since he was worried he was taking something from her because he had had the big wedding for his first marriage, but she had worn him down. 

They planned it all in a month. The wedding itself was in the courthouse, and the reception in their backyard with all their friends in attendance. She’d worn a white dress she’d found on a shopping trip with JJ and Garcia and he’d worn one of his own suits. Emily had loved it, but she was sad that her parents hadn’t come no matter how broken down their relationship had become. Things between her and her parents had always been hard but since she’d come back from the dead it had been even harder. 

“Is this your first?” The question broke Emily from her chain of thought, and she looked at the woman opposite in confusion for a second before she realised she was gesturing at her stomach.

“Oh, no,” She smiled, “It’s our second, we have a son. He’s 9.” 

“Jack is Agent Hotchner’s son from a previous marriage.” Elizabeth added, not flinching when Emily turned to look at her with a barely restrained glare. Hotch decided this was his time to try and keep the peace. Emily might hate politics, but she was usually good at it and the combination of her mother and the pregnancy hormones meant she was struggling to compartmentalise as well as she usually did. 

“My first wife sadly passed away,” He explained, finding the normal sympathy he expected in the eyes of the strangers in front of him. If only they knew the full truth. He felt Emily’s arm move around his back as she settled in closer to his side. He wasn’t really sure if she was giving comfort or seeking it, but he was grateful either way. “Emily has helped me raise him since we’ve been together, and she actually adopted him about a month ago.” 

“Oh that’s lovely.” Mary said, John - who had so far yet to say a word - nodded along with her. Hotch had never been more grateful to hear his phone start to ring, and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket to see it was Jessica’s number.

“Speak of the devil, he’s calling us to say goodnight,” Hotch explained, grabbing Emily’s hand to start to pull her away from the group, “it was lovely to meet you.” He answered the phone as he walked them towards a quieter part of the foyer of the large house they were in. “Hi Jack, ready for bed, buddy?”

He tried his best to focus on the conversation he was having with his son, who was regaling him with all the details of the film Jessica had watched with him, but he couldn’t stop looking at the discomfort on his wife’s face. He knew Emily really, really, wanted to give her Mother a piece of her mind already and the night was only young. 

“Jack, do you want to speak to Emily before you go to sleep? She’s right here.” He smiled at his son’s enthusiasm at the idea of speaking to her and at the look on Emily’s face. She took the phone off of him but didn’t move away.

“Hey, buddy. Are you ready for bed?” She asked, and both her and Hotch couldn’t contain their smiles at the joyous “Emmy” that Jack let out at the sound of her voice.

Whilst Emily had adopted him, they had a long discussion as a family about what he would call her. Jack had, on occasion, called her mom but only when he was unwell or incredibly tired. Emily hadn’t wanted him to feel pressured and was happy to be whatever he needed her to be in his life. Her heard did always soar when he would call her mom, but she would happily be Emmy to him forever if that’s what he wanted. 

The adoption was something they had decided was a good idea all together, so Emily could be his guardian more easily and without question. The moment that had triggered the decision was something she would rather forget, with both Hotch and Jack in the hospital and her unable to check on the little boy - despite the fact she’d flashed her badge (and gun) at the nurse who refused to let her see him. 

She didn’t want to erase Haley from his life, but she wanted to continue to do what Haley had started. To raise him in a world where he knew love and happiness. 

Emily spoke to Jack for a couple minutes before passing the phone back to Hotch who said goodnight to the boy before hanging up, chuckling as he did so.

“Jessica is going to have fun getting him to sleep tonight.” Emily joked, knowing that the excitable boy was hard to convince to go to sleep at the best of times. 

Hotch murmured in agreement as he pulled his wife closer and kissed her quickly on the lips, pulling away after a moment to look her in the eyes. Public displays of affection like that weren’t really his thing, but he knew she needed the reassurance. 

“Back into the breach?” He asked before kissing her again. She groaned slightly against his lips and signed as they pulled apart.

“You are going to have to buy me so much more than ice cream by the time this evening is over, Agent Hotchner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ambassador Prentiss...what are you like? 
> 
> Stay tuned for more Hotchniss fluff, Emily/Elizabeth tension and whatever Elizabeth is planning.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the Kudos and comments! :)

Emily felt that it was not dramatic to think this evening had so far been the longest 3 hours of her life. Her feet were sore, she was sober as a judge, and people kept stealing her husband away for discussions about his role in the FBI. Which is how she found herself sat, alone, on the couch in her Father’s office. She hadn’t even seen him yet this evening which wasn’t too unusual for these events, but she knew he would find her in here eventually - it was a tradition of their own at her Mother’s parties. Her Father would find her hiding out, they would have a bourbon together and then go and brave the rest of the evening. 

Of course she couldn’t partake in the bourbon this year she thought to herself as the baby kicked sharply in her abdomen. 

“At least I can use you as an excuse not to come next year.” She said fondly to her bump, rubbing her hand over where she could feel the baby moving. 

“Best not say that around your Mother, dear.” Her Father’s voice floated in from the office door. She turned to him and smiled. Jonathan Prentiss smiled back at his daughter as he approached her and sat next to her on the couch. He had a glass of bourbon in one hand, and what she assumed was some kind of tonic water in the other. 

“I’m not a total idiot, Dad.” She said, smirking as she took the glass that was not bourbon from him. 

Her relationship with her Father had always been easier than that of the one with her Mother. It still wasn’t an ideal Father/Daughter relationship, but it was kinder between them. He didn’t expect as much from her as Elizabeth did, and accepted her life was her own - so generally did not judge her decision making as much. Their relationship had been more strained since she had come back from the dead and it broke her heart. 

“You look well, Emily.” Jonathan said as he gestured towards her with his free hand. “It suits you.” 

“Thanks, Dad,” She replied, genuinely touched by his words. “It feels like it’s all going by so fast.”

She hadn’t seen either of her parents in person since she found out she was pregnant. Partially down to choice on both sides, but also because they had been abroad for a good portion of the last several months. She had told them over the phone and from the off could tell her Father was more genuinely happy for her than her Mother was. She knew deep down her Mother was happy that Emily was finally in a good place and getting what she had always wanted, but it was not the way Elizabeth would have wanted it.

Ambassador Prentiss was still somehow under the impression that she could control everything.

“Do you know what you’re having?” He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“No, we decided to wait to find out,” She answered, smiling as she remembered how that conversation had gone down, “Well, Aaron wanted to know, but since the baby currently lives inside of me I got the deciding vote.” She chuckled, and her Father joined in. “We just haven’t had a lot of nice surprises in our lives. I thought this could be one.” She explained.

“I can understand that, Emily.” He smiled at her, “Where is your husband anyway? I thought he would be under strict instructions to stick by your side all evening.”

“He was, but sadly a lot of people find our work very interesting and they keep stealing him away to ask him about it. I should probably rescue him at some point.” 

“Well your Mother will be making her speech soon, so you probably should find him.” Jonathan responded as he finished the bourbon in his glass.

“What is she up to? And don’t say nothing - I am a trained behavioural analyst. I can tell something is up.” 

“All will be revealed soon, my dear.” He said mysteriously as he stood up. He offered her a hand to help her off the couch, which she reluctantly took.

“You’re no fun.” 

__________________________________

“I don’t remember there being a speech last year.” Hotch whispered in her ear as her Mother talked from the front of the room. “Is it normal to give a speech at a Christmas Party?”

Everyone was stood in the main foyer of the house. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Elizabeth was stood about half way up the first set of stairs, and Jonathan was stood a few steps below her as she gave her speech. Emily and Hotch were stood somewhere towards the back of the crowd, him stood behind her so she could lean on him slightly and take some of the pressure off of her sore feet. 

Emily knew that Hotch was trying to make her laugh, which he almost succeeded in doing. She elbowed him gently in the ribs and shot him a quick, and insincere, glare. It did feel like her Mother had been speaking forever, but she knew it had likely been about 10 minutes. Hotch started to behave himself again and Emily tuned back in to what her Mother was talking about. 

“As you will all know I have been an Ambassador all over the world for my entire career, and as I am getting older and about to become a grandmother for the first time-”

Emily felt eyes from all over the room land on her briefly, which led to her giving an awkward smile to them all. 

“She’s asked you approximately 3 questions about your entire pregnancy, and all of them have had some kind of passive aggressive comment in them. Why does she suddenly care about being a grandmother?” Hotch questioned, his voice showing his protectiveness of her and their child. 

“I have no idea.” She whispered back. 

“- I have decided that I am ready to travel less and make stronger roots here at home in DC, but as everyone here would know I’m not exactly the retiring type.”

Everyone in the room chuckled politely at Elizabeth’s joke. Emily looked at her Father, and realised he was looking right back at her, with an odd look on his face. 

“And that is why I am delighted to announce today, that I am planning on running for Senate.” Elizabeth finished proudly, and a round of applause followed. 

Emily, not for the first time in her life, had been left speechless by her Mother. 

“I take it you had no idea?” Hotch asked her, his voice louder than before so she could hear him over the noise that had taken over the room. She looked over her shoulder at him, aware that the shock was still all over her face. 

“None!” She exclaimed. She vaguely heard Elizabeth ask everyone to raise their glasses as she wished them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. 

Merry Christmas indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you have it - what Elizabeth has been up to!
> 
> I do have a stand alone oneshot related to this that I have already started to write - set about 5 months after this one. And as I've mentioned before I am considering doing a series of oneshots in this universe about their lives together.
> 
> I think this particular story will end up being another 2 chapters. I'll get them posted before Christmas. 
> 
> As per, let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

Hotch observed his wife’s behaviour as he walked towards her with their drinks. She was stood far enough away from the kitchen door where the appetisers were being brought out from that it wouldn’t be obvious enough to the majority of people that she was hunting for food, but close enough for him to see exactly what she was up to. He’d witnessed her eat more than what would likely be considered her fair share of spicy crab cakes this evening. 

“You know those are going to give you heartburn later, right?” He asked, his voice laced with a small amount of amusement as he handed her a glass of tonic water, taking a sip of his own. Whilst he was in full agreement with Emily that these parties should not be experienced sober, he felt bad drinking when she couldn’t, so had stopped a couple of hours beforehand. 

“I’ll be fine.” She responded, dismissing his comment as she took the final bite of the crab cake in her hands. “I would appreciate some real food though, I’m starving.” 

Hotch smiled at her, as he often found himself doing, and leant forward to press a kiss to her temple. Non-pregnant Emily could really put away her food, but pregnant Emily was a whole new level. She also got quite snappy when she was hungry, something Garcia had told him was called ‘hanger,’ and it had led to a couple of incidents on cases were certain members of the team (mostly Morgan) accidentally annoyed her to the point of her losing her temper. Which in turn made her annoyed at herself because she really did not like being out of control of her emotions. 

All this meant that Hotch essentially always made sure food was available, and that there was always something quick to rustle together.

“Some of Jack’s Mac & Cheese from yesterday is leftover in the fridge, so you can have that when we get home.”

“You are a genius, Aaron Hotchner. I knew I married you for a reason.” She joked. “I think if we found Mother and said our goodbyes we could get away with leaving soon. It wouldn’t exactly be a lie to say I’m tired.” She checked her watch and saw that it was just before 11pm. These parties were well known to go on past midnight and she just didn’t have the energy. 

“Speak of the devil.” Hotch quipped quietly in her ear, as he saw Elizabeth approach them. They’d offered their congratulations to her shortly after her speech, and Hotch hoped they had at least appeared a bit sincere. Emily had still been a bit shocked at the time, and would later admit herself that she hadn’t been on her best form.

“Every time I see the pair of you you’re all over each other.” Elizabeth commented, not in a way that was particularly unkind, but still made Hotch step back slightly from his wife. 

Emily suppressed what felt like the 100th snarky comment of the night as she considered the fact if her Mother though her behaviour with her husband this evening was too much she really didn’t spend much time with them at all. They weren’t overtly into over the top public displays of affection, Hotch was far too much of an old school gentleman for that, but when they were Emily and Aaron in their own lives, as opposed to Prentiss and Hotch at work, they were always close to each other. 

Whether it was them pressed together in a booth in a bar on a night out with the team, or his hand on the small of her back or her arm looped through his when they walked down the street together it was there. In their own house, behind closed doors, there were no self imposed limits and Jack was just old enough now to think it was gross when they kissed each other. Which he had not yet learned didn’t exactly stop them. 

“Well, I happen to enjoy my husband’s company, Mother.” Emily settled on, hoping her tone was as even as possible. “We were just saying we should head off soon. I’m pretty tired, and Jessica needs to drop off Jack early in the morning before she heads to work.” 

“That’s quite alright,” Elizabeth replied, the first thing she had said to Emily all evening that didn’t seem loaded. “You look after yourself, Emily.” She added as she leant forward and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek.  
“Thank you, Mother.” Emily said back, slightly taken aback. “Can you say goodbye to Dad for us?”

“Of course.” Elizabeth turned to Hotch and offered her hand to him, which he took. “Agent Hotchner.” She said as she shook his hand before walking off. 

Emily looked up at Aaron and they laughed as their eyes met, her Mother’s refusal to call Hotch Aaron something they guessed would never change.

“To be fair, if she’d called me Aaron I’d have got the rest of the team in to see who had replaced your Mother with a body double.” He joked. She laughed, but hit him softly in his chest. 

“Let’s go home.”  
_________________________________________

Emily wasn’t exactly sure how long she had been looking out of the car window, mindlessly watching the city go by, when she felt Hotch grab her hand from her own lap. 

“Are you ok, Emily?” He asked. She turned to look at him and gave him a small smile as she looked at him and took in the concern on his face. It was such a privilege to be loved by him, and she would never fully understand what she had done to deserve it. Most people who knew him knew him only as Agent Hotchner, or Hotch. They knew him as an incredibly serious man and never saw the version of him that she saw every day. Even members of their own team had questioned their relationship at first.

“The sexual tension between the two of you is enough to suffocate us all and I’m glad you’re addressing it,” Garcia had quipped when she one cocktail too many into girls night, “but Boss Man is just so serious all the time.”

Emily loved that she was one of the few people in the world who knew how it felt to be completely and utterly loved by Aaron Hotchner, and she didn’t overly care if that made her selfish. 

“I don’t know,” She answered honestly, squeezing his hand gently. “I always knew Mother wouldn’t retire, if I’m honest I expected she’d travel forever. Having her here in DC more often will be an adjustment.”

“It could be good though.”

“I guess. I just-” Emily paused for a second, unsure of what she was trying to say. “I’m worried what this will do to my relationship with her.” Emily closed her eyes as she felt tears welling up in them, frustrated at herself for getting emotional over this. Her hormones really were getting the better of her ability to compartmentalise. 

“Em,” Aaron started, hearing the slight quiver in her voice, but she continued before he could provide any comfort.

“I know our relationship is less than ideal, and certainly not a normal mother daughter relationship,” She said as she wiped a couple tears off her cheeks with the hand that wasn’t in Hotch’s. “But it works for us. We see each other a couple times a year, we exchange a few calls or emails and she tries to pretend that she’s happy for me.” She finished with a watery laugh.

He brought their joint hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, wishing he wasn’t currently driving so he could comfort her properly. 

“For what it’s worth, Em I think she is happy for you but she doesn’t know how to express it properly.” 

“She doesn’t exactly try though, Aaron. Not unless it benefits her.”

They sat in silence for a couple minutes then, until Hotch pulled the car into the parking lot of their local grocery store. After he put the car into park he fully turned to look at her, using his free hand to cup her cheek.

“Sweetheart, we’ll figure it out ok? Together.” He said firmly as he leant forward to kiss her quickly, resting his forehead briefly against hers as he pulled away. “And we won’t let your Mother use our family as props for her political gain.” He added, knowing that was something else she had been thinking about since the announcement at the party even though she hadn’t expressed her concerns. 

Emily gave him a small smile and a nod, and kissed him. He always made her feel better.

“Now I believe I promised you ice cream,” He said as he pulled away, undoing his seatbelt as he moved to get out of the car. “I’ll go in and grab it, I know your feet are sore so stay here.” He opened the door and got out of the car, turning back to address her again. “Make sure to lock the doors when I’m gone.” 

She rolled her eyes at him, exactly like he knew she would, and made a show of pressing the button that locked the doors after he closed the door. 

“Aaron?” She called from behind him when he was only a couple of paces away from the car, and he turned to see Emily still sat in the car with her window rolled down. “Can you also grab some antacids please? In hindsight all those crab cakes probably weren’t a good idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! The party at the embassy is done, but there will be one more chapter at home - and there will be a little bit of Jack thrown in :) I imagine I'll upload it Christmas Eve at the latest. 
> 
> Small side note, I'm from the UK and the government cancelled Christmas over the weekend...so thats something. I hope all of you - wherever you are and whatever holiday you celebrate - you are safe and can have a nice break. What a year. 
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter - let me know what you think!
> 
> Until next time
> 
> SequinSmile x


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!! 
> 
> Some nice fluff with Jack in this one...

Jack arrived home the following morning on Christmas Eve full of energy, immediately filling Hotch in on his night with Jessica. As he was bouncing around the living room, excitedly chatting at his father, Jessica walked towards where Emily was stood in their open plan kitchen. 

“Emily, Merry Christmas!” She exclaimed as she approached Emily for a hug, which she returned. 

“Merry Christmas, Jess.” Emily smiled back. She gestured to a Christmas bottle bag on the kitchen counter. “I know we already sent over the gifts for you, but I got you a little extra something to say thank you for taking him last night.”

“Oh that’s so kind,” Jessica said picking up the bag, which she saw had her favourite red wine in it. “It’s honestly no problem at all, you know I love having Jack. How was last night?” Jessica laughed when she saw the chagrined look on Emily’s face. “That good, huh?”

“My Mother announced that she will be running for Senate next year.” Emily replied dryly, laughing in turn at the look of surprise on Jessica’s face.

“Wow, that’s something. I assume that means she will be around more.”

“Oh yes. Still trying to figure out how I feel about that part.” Emily said raising her eyebrows.

Before they could discuss it any further Jack ran over to them, throwing his arms around Emily in a quick hug as a hello.

“I thought you had work Aunt Jessie.” He said bluntly, in the way that only children could.

“You’re right, Jack I do.” She replied, laughing as she checked her watch. “And I really should be going.” She put her arms out for Jack to give her a goodbye hug, which he gladly provided. 

“Merry Christmas, guys. And I’ll see you after New Year, Jack.” Jessica then hugged Emily and Aaron goodbye, giving the later a kiss on the cheek as she left.  
_________________________________________

After a day of Christmas Eve activities, largely aimed at tiring Jack out, they had dinner that evening and after Jack had gone to bed Emily joined her husband on the couch and sighed as she checked her emails on her phone. 

“That was a big sigh.” Aaron commented, as he looked over at her. She had her phone in one hand, reading whatever it was that had prompted the sigh, and her other hand was drifting back and forth over her baby bump. He knew their child was particularly active in the evenings, and Emily was probably trying to sooth them in any way she could.

“It’s my Mother. Well, more accurately her assistant, Tanya.” She muttered, handing him the phone for him to read it himself. He read it himself quickly, and understood Emily’s reaction.

“Your Mother wants us, and the children, to go to a photo shoot for her campaign, in March?” He asked, handing her phone back to her. “You’re only due the week before the date she’s listed. You could still be pregnant by then.” 

“Mother will be well aware of that. Something like my due date won’t have slipped her mind, no matter how uninterested she appears to be in the whole thing.” She locked her phone and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. “We’ve known about this for less than 24 hours and she’s already trying to use us for her image.” 

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and Hotch spotted her hand coming to her mouth for her to bite her nails. He grabbed it before she could and held her hand between them. 

“Em, we’ll say no. She can’t make us do anything. You hate politics. She knows that. We’ll say it won’t look good for us professionally to get involved.” He said in an attempt to comfort her. “We’ll deal with this after the holidays, neither your mother or her assistant can be expecting a response sooner than that.”

In response to that Emily just raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a pointed look. 

“Ok, so we’ll just screen her calls until the holidays are over.” He offered as an alternative, which she seemingly accepted. 

They sat in silence for a little bit, enjoying each other’s company and the Christmas Music playing softly in the background.

“I worry I’m not going to be any good at this.” She said softly, and he had to look at her and notice that she was looking down at her baby bump to realise what she was talking about. 

“At being a mother? Em,” He put his finger under her chin and made her look up at him. “What’s brought this on?”

“Last night. My Mother. Everything really.” She replied sadly, linking their hands again and playing with his wedding ring as she often did when she was nervous. 

“You’re going to be an amazing mother. You’re already an amazing mother to Jack.” He squeezed her hand. “You love my son so fiercely, and so entirely it makes me love you more. Which I didn’t think was possible.”

“Aaron, I love Jack and the baby so much. I just worry that isn’t enough. What if when it comes to it I’m not cut out for being a mom, I didn’t exactly have a stellar example.” 

It occurred to Hotch that she had likely been worrying about this all day, and he had missed it. Between finishing up the wrapping of the gifts, attempting to wear Jack out at the park, and prepping dinner for tomorrow he hadn’t noticed his wife’s turmoil, and he felt terrible about it. Before he could address it any further they were interrupted. 

“Of course you’re going to be a good mommy, Emmy.” Jack said from behind them. They didn’t know he had snuck out of his room, and they turned to look at him where he stood at the bottom of the stairs. Emily noted that the look of exasperation on his face disturbingly similar to his fathers. “You already look after me. And you’ll do the same for the baby.” He exclaimed walking towards where they sat in the living room. He sat on the couch, muscling his way in-between them and leant into Emily’s side. 

“Jack,” Hotch started, a slight warning tone to his voice they all knew he didn’t mean, “You are supposed to be sleeping.” 

“But Emmy sounded sad, and I wanted to make sure she wasn’t. No one should be sad at Christmas.” Jack replied, looking at his father with pleading eyes. Hotch looked up to Emily, who was smiling a bit brighter than she had all day, and he decided he would let it slide. 

Happy that he was seemingly allowed to carry on, Jack turned from Hotch and looked at Emily for a moment before leaning in to hug her tightly. 

“You’re already a good mommy, Emmy. You’re the only one I have.” He all but whispered, but both the adults in the room heard him. Hotch felt tears start to well up, and locked eyes with his wife and saw that she was reacting similarly. Emily tightened her hold on Jack, and Hotch grabbed one of her hands that lay on Jack’s back. 

“I know Mommy in heaven loves me and looks down on me all the time,” Jack continued, “But she can’t look after me when I’m sick. Or come to my soccer games. Or teach me French. You do all those things. You’re a good mommy.” 

“Thank you, Jack. That’s very sweet.” Emily replied, her voice noticeably thick with emotion. Jack pulled away and saw that she was crying. 

“Why are you crying? Did I say something bad?” Jack panicked, looking back and forth between the two adults he was sat between.

“No sweetie,” Emily responded kindly, wiping tears from her eyes with one hand and cupping his cheek with the other. “What you said made me happy. Sometimes people cry when they are happy too.”

“Grown ups are so weird.” Jack quipped, after considering what Emily had said for a moment. 

“I wouldn’t say no to a hug though - from both my favourite Hotchners.” Emily remarked as she held out her arms for both of them. Jack all but barrelled back into her arms, saved by Hotch holding him back slightly and reminding him he had to be careful around Emily’s stomach. 

As they all sat there on the couch in the living room hugging each other, with Jack in the middle of them, Emily thought to herself that this was not the family she would have envisioned herself having when she was younger. 

As a very young woman she had assumed she would start her career, get married to someone her mother set her up with, and have a couple children. Then Ian Doyle came along and her life changed. Then came the BAU, and Doyle again and she had all but given up on the notion of being part of a family. But here she was. Sat in her house, with her husband and the boy she was raising as her own, and her baby sat safely in her stomach. It wasn’t the family she expected, but she was so happy to have them.

“Jack, it really is time for bed.” Hotch said as he pulled away from the family hug. “If you don’t go to sleep Santa won’t come.” 

“Oh come on, Dad. We all know Santa isn’t real.” Jack exclaimed, rolling his eyes. 

“What?” Hotch replied, sounding outraged. “Who told you that?” 

“Uncle Sean.” 

“Well Uncle Sean is getting coal in his stocking tomorrow.” Hotch muttered.

“Don’t worry though - I won’t tell the baby when it’s here next Christmas.” 

“That’s very kind, Jack.” Emily said, a smirk on her face at Hotch’s outrage over Jack suddenly not believing in Santa. “You might have to keep it up for several years though, ok?” The boy nodded at her. “Perfect - now you really do have to go to bed.” 

Jack grumbled a bit, but hugged both Emily and Hotch before running back upstairs towards his room. When they were certain he was back bedroom, they looked back at each other and laughed. 

“I am going to kill Sean.”   
“No you won’t,” She replied, “He’s cooking dinner tomorrow and whilst we could both get away with murder, we certainly can’t cook a turkey.” 

“You’re right,” He sighed. “As always.” He stood, offering her a hand and helping her stand too. Hotch turned off the lights of the Christmas tree. “I just wish Jack had mentioned he no longer believed in Santa before he let me go to the effort of baking cookies for him.” 

“I think he scammed cookies out of you.” Emily joked as she walked to the kitchen, grabbing one of the cookies in question to eat in bed. To say Hotch had baked them was a stretch, but he had very neatly put the pre-made cookie dough on the baking sheet. 

“You go to bed, Em.” He suggested, joining her in the kitchen and wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’ll put the gifts out and then come join you.”

“Ok.” She said, moving to step away before changing her mind and tightening her hold on him. “Can you believe that this time next year the baby will be here.” She whispered, the awe in her voice difficult to miss. 

“I can’t wait.” He said, pulling back to kiss her on the lips. 

“Me neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this story - I really appreciate it. There will definitely be more in this little universe I have created in the new year :) 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> SequinSmile x


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